|
Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma
March 10, 1983
Carrie Marie Underwood was born to Stephen and Carole Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was raised on her parents' farm in rural Checotah, Oklahoma.
Graduated from Checotah High School
June 1, 2001
Underwood graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian.
American Idol (Season 4)
March 22, 2005
In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis. On March 22, 2005, Underwood sang a rendition of the number one 80's rock hit "Alone" by Heart and judge Simon Cowell predicted that Underwood would not only win the competition, but would outsell all previous Idol winners.
Winner of American Idol
May 25, 2005
On May 25, 2005, Underwood was crowned the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, beating out Bo Bice. Underwood appeared on the sixth season of American Idol, where she sang her single "Wasted" on March 8.
Debut Album, Some Hearts
November 15, 2005
Underwood's debut album, entitled Some Hearts, was released to store shelves on November 15, 2005, entering the Billboard 200 chart with 315,000 copies sold.
Oklahoman of the Year
December 1, 2005
A native of eastern Oklahoma, she co-wrote a song dedicated to her hometown, "I Ain't in Checotah Anymore". In December 2005, Underwood was named Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today.
Attended Northeastern State University
May 6, 2006
After high school, she attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism.
40th Annual Country Music Association Awards
November 6, 2006
To promote "Before He Cheats", Underwood performed it at the 40th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 6, 2006, and later won both the Horizon Award for new country artists and Female Vocalist. Underwood's double win is the first time since 1995 that an artist won both the female vocalist and Horizon award.
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
November 21, 2006
On November 21, 2006, Underwood went into the American Music Awards with 2 nominations, that night she left the building winning the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award.
USO Christmas Tour
December 1, 2006
Underwood performed with the USO Christmas Tour in Iraq during the 2006 Holiday season, to spread holiday cheer to the troops overseas.[26] She follows a celebrity entertainment tradition started by Bob Hope that continues to this day. Several Internet sites have photos and video clips of Underwood's performances in Iraq, including photos of Underwood in military garb.
2006 Billboard Music Awards
December 4, 2006
She also attended the "2006 Billboard Music Awards" On December 4, 2006, and took home 5 awards. She won the coveted Album of the Year, Top 200 Female Artist of the Year, Female Country Artist, New Country Artist, and Country Album of the Year.
"Most Beautiful People"
Feburary 1, 2007
She was also placed on the 2007 list of the "Most Beautiful People" by People. Most recently, Underwood was honored as one of three of the most influential entertainers in America at this point in time and was named sexiest female country artist by Country Weekly. Victoria's Secret named Underwood the "Sexiest Female Musician". She took the top honors along with Justin Timberlake, who was named the "Sexiest Male Musician".
A First for an American Idol Winner
Feburary 11, 2007
Underwood's nomination marked the first time that an American Idol winner or contestant had been nominated in the "Best New Artist" category. The award ceremony was held on February 11, 2007 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Musical Guest on Saturday Night Live
March 24, 2007
On March 24, 2007, Underwood was featured as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live with host Peyton Manning. Underwood performed her hit singles "Before He Cheats" and "Wasted".
"Wasted"
April 11, 2007
On April 11, 2007, Underwood continued her success of top 2 Country singles with the release of "Wasted". The song peaked at number 1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart, and number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for Wasted debuted at number 2 on the GACTV Top 20 Countdown.
2007 CMT Awards
April 16, 2007
At the 2007 CMT Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on April 16, Underwood was nominated for three awards, including Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, and Video Director of the Year, all for "Before He Cheats." She won in all of the three categories. She also performed there, singing "Before He Cheats".
American Idol's "Idol Gives Back"
April 25, 2007
In early April, Underwood took a break from working on her second album to take a trip to South Africa for American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" charity special. A music video package from her trip aired on the show April 25. Underwood recorded an acoustic version of The Pretenders' classic "I'll Stand By You," which served as the music bed for this American Idol video package. The charity single of the song released exclusively on iTunes reached the #2 spot.
Quarterback Tony Romo
May 15, 2007
Underwood performed at halftime of the 2006 Thanksgiving Day football game at Texas Stadium in Irving, TX and was subsequently romantically linked to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.[28] She attended his birthday party in April 2007, and on May 15, 2007, he escorted her to the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Dated Chace Crawford
August 1, 2007
Since August 2007, she had been dating Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl fame. On October 4, 2007, People magazine reported that the two were seen holding hands in New York City.[30] Though according to recent reports,[31] the two have recently broken up for good.
Second Album, Carnival Ride
October 23, 2007
Underwood's second album, Carnival Ride,[12] was released on October 23, 2007.[13] "So Small", the first single from the album, was released on July 31.
"Ever Ever After"
November 7, 2007
Underwood appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Enchanted, performing a song entitled "Ever Ever After". In the music video for the song she appears as both animated and live action, much like the characters in the movie. She appeared on Christmas at Rockefeller Center on November 28, 2007.
Song of the Year
December 1, 2007
Underwood was named as Billboard's best country artist of the Billboard year 2007, and in December 2007 over 1,000,000 People magazine readers named "Before He Cheats" as the song of the year.
Carnival Ride Double Plantinum
December 14, 2007
Carnival Ride was certified double platinum as of December 14, 2007.
Tour with Keith Urban
January 5, 2008
In January 2008, Underwood embarked on a joint tour with Keith Urban named the Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour, with dates fixed nationwide to continue through April.
Eleventh Country Music Star on SNL
Feburary 23, 2008
She appeared on SNL once again on February 23, 2008, where she sang "All-American Girl" and "Flat On The Floor". She became only the eleventh country music star to perform on the show.
Grand Ole Opry House
March 15, 2008
On March 15, 2008, during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry House, Underwood was invited by Randy Travis, who snuck up on her as she was finishing her song "I Told You So", to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She is scheduled to be inducted at the Grand Ole Opry House during the May 10, 2008 edition of the Opry.
